Holiday Party, Dec. 13th

Inside this issue:

Holiday Party Leadership Message Page 2 January Program: GRIT Page 3 Voter Registration Page 4 & Candidate Debates Great Decisions 2019 Page 5 & Stroll to the Polls Mid-Term Results/Wine Page 6 Wine and Cheese Tasting Book Club Page 7 Membership Page 8 Communications Page 9 Leadership Team LWVIL Abolish Electoral Page 10 College Update LWV Lake County and Page 11 Lake Michigan Area Time for Action Page 12 Green Notes Page 13 Women’s History Calendar Page 14

NEXT UP: WHAT GOES AROUND, COMES AROUND:

The Graduated Rate Income Tax (GRIT) Look for details on page 3

B U L L E T I N W i n t e r 2 0 1 9

Holiday Party, Dec. 13th

Our Holiday party on Dec. 13th was a great

success. The evening started with delicious foods and a chance to visit with friends, new

members, city officials, and our featured speakers.

Judy Miller related a wonderful recap of our

90th Anniversary celebrations and spoke about League’s mission and accomplishments.

Elaine Adler moderated the program with our speakers, HP Police Chief, Lou Jogmen, HP

Fire Chief, Larry Ameidei and HWD Police Chief, Dave Wentz.

The chiefs were extremely informative and it

was very interesting to hear about their back-grounds and perceptions of our communities.

They each related a very positive experience working with our communities, and a very

positive relationship with their respective governments to enable them to perform their

jobs well.

Each of the speakers welcomed our Q&A ques-tions about safety in the schools and through-

out the community, racial profiling, managing mental health issues, combatting drug usage,

gang presence, and gun related questions.

Thanks to Ginny Schulte and Laurie Reinstein for

planning a super league event.

Upcoming Events:

MLK Day of Service Jan 21 Voter Registration HP Recreation Center Book Club Jan 30 HPPL “Purple Hibiscus” Illinois Budgetary Issues Jan 31 HP Police Station Training Room Great Decisions Feb 20 HPPL

Book Club Feb 27 HPPL Title to be determined

>> View the Calendar

HP Fire Chief, Larry Amidei HP Police Chief, Lou Jogmen HWD Police Chief, Dave Wentz

Click to return to home page LWVHP/HWD BULLETIN Winter 2019 Page 2

HIGHLAND PARK/HIGHWOOD LEAGUE

MESSAGE FROM OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM

January, 2019

Dear Leaguers,

Our Leadership Team just held its first meeting of 2019 on Monday, January 14th. In addition to the regular leadership team members: Nancy, Elaine, Marlene, Carole and Judy, we were joined by: Ginger Seff, Treasurer; Rose Feder, Candidate Forum co-chair and website chair; Barb Lippai, Nominating and Program Co-chair; and Mary Sheahen. Mary is our League’s Membership Leadership Development coach from LWVIL. I think everyone came away from the meeting feeling very positive and energized. Our League membership has increased 17%; members will be receiving welcome letters and membership cards; our fall programs and events have been well attended and received.

Our first program of the new year, on January 31, will focus on the Graduated Rate Income Tax (GRIT), which our league, along with LWVIL and leagues throughout the state, continue to advocate for to replace the current flat tax. Coming up this winter and spring, we will be joining with the library to offer a series of monthly Great Decision discussions on foreign policy issues. Our first session will be in February. We will be inviting our new and long-time members to participate in planning local and state program at a fun event in late February or early March. Plans are unfolding for our Candidate Debates, preceding the local April 2nd Consolidated Elec-tion, which will be held at Highland Park Country Club on Sunday, March 17th. We are still working on details to reach out to Highland Park High School Social Studies Department to in-volve interested students in getting out the vote, using a program from the Naperville League, “Stroll to the Polls”.

Just as the City of Highland Park joined with our League in celebrating our 90th anniversary last year, we congratulate the City on its sesquicentennial (150th anniversary) in 2019. Several of our members are involved in planning the year-long celebration. The Leadership Team voted to make the League a sponsor through the purchase of a personalized brick to be installed at City Hall. The brick will read: “League of Women Voters Highland Park Since 1928.”

One more thing…if you want to read something that will make you very proud to be a League member, click here (https://whowhatwhy.org/2019/01/07/league-of-women-voters-gets-trump-bump)

Judy Miller, on behalf of the Leadership Team

https://whowhatwhy.org/2019/01/07/league-of-women-voters-gets-trump-bump

https://whowhatwhy.org/2019/01/07/league-of-women-voters-gets-trump-bump



WHAT GOES AROUND, COMES AROUND:

THE GRADUATED RATE INCOME TAX

January 31st at 7:30 pm

Highland Park Police Station Training Room

The League has been a crusader for tax reform – a fair tax system - for 50 years, perhaps more.

We had a leading role in support of the graduated income tax at the 1970 Constitutional Con-

vention, where a flat tax was agreed to as part of a political compromise. The flat tax is embod-

ied in the Illinois Constitution and can only be changed by a constitutional amendment. Over

time we have stepped up to the plate to advocate for a change to a graduated income tax. Our

various action campaigns have been sparked by our realization that across many budget areas

funding was unfair and inadequate, especially for public schools and social service obligations.

These obligations are currently compounded by the issue of insufficient revenues to begin to

pay down the backlog of unpaid bills…and other obligations.

Right now LWVIL is at the forefront of a campaign, as well as working in coalition with other

same- thinking groups, to bring the issue to a public vote in 2020. LWVIL has developed a

presentation and trained a group of members to educate our own members and our communi-

ties of the current need.

We will host this presentation on Thursday, January 31 at 7:30 at the HP Police Department’s

training room. The speaker will be Kathy Tate-Bradish, a member of the LWVIL GRIT Team.

This is a perfect time to introduce new members, prospective members and our community to

the thoughtful, action work of League!


LWVHP/HWD Registration Events

January 21, 2019 at Highland Park Recreation Center, MLK Day of Service, from 10:oo am to 2:00 pm.

February 21, 2019 at Highland Park High School, from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm.

Go to https://www.lakecountyil.gov/315/Election-Calendar for complete information

CANDIDATE DEBATES

Please Save the Date for our League’s Candidate Debates

Sunday, March 17, 2019

Beginning at 12:30 pm

Highland Park Country Club, 1201 Park Ave. West

Township High School District 113

North Shore School District 112 Highland Park City Council

More information will be available soon …

Look for the League’s Voter Guide on March 1st

There will be a call for volunteers — watch for email

Excerpted from the Lake County Clerk’s Calendar.

https://www.lakecountyil.gov/315/Election-Calendar


GREAT DECISIONS 2019

LWVHP/HWD is collaborating with the Highland Park Public Library

Join a discussion group focusing on world affairs. The program is part of the Foreign Policy Association’s Great Decisions program and is based on an annual briefing book published by the Foreign Pol-icy Association, an organization with a commitment to the careful study of all sides of international questions affecting the United States. Through the book and discussion, participants can increase their awareness and understanding of foreign policy issues involving the United States.

Participants will be asked to read the briefing book prior to each meet-ing. Discussions will be led by members of the group, with rotating discussion leaders.

Registration is required and limited to 25 members.

Sessions will continue on Wednesday evenings on March 20, April 17, May 22 and June 19. After a break for the summer, the group will resume in September, October, and November. The cost for the Great Decisions 2019 book, which is required to participate, is $40.

To register, and to purchase a book, call the Library at (847) 432-0216, ext. 120.

More information about Foreign Policy Association’s Great Decisions 2019 can be found here.

The first session will be February 20th, when we will discuss “State of the State Department and Diplomacy.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Stroll to the Polls

Stroll to the Polls is an effective, low-cost way to increase voter turnout in targeted precincts, while also engaging the next generation of voters as active participants in their Democracy. (from LWVIL website).

Our League is looking to model a program, partnering League members with High School students from HPHS, to encourage voters to participate in our upcoming local Consolidated Election.

We have been researching the LWV Naperville’s “Stroll to the Polls” action

project. Currently we are exploring a pilot program partnering with Highland Park High School

and their students to increase voter turnout for spring elections in previously low turnout precincts.

If you are interested in participating, contact Judy Miller by email [email protected] or

Shoshana Friedman by email [email protected]

Click here for a Chicago Tribune article on the LWV Naperville project.


https://www.fpa.org/news/index.cfm?act=show_announcement&announcement_id=430

mailto:[email protected]


http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/community/chi-ugc-article-an-experiment-in-democracy-stroll-to-the-pol-2018-03-12-story.html


LWVHP/HWD

THE MID-TERM RESULTS: WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

On November 14, 2018, a large group of members and non-members gathered at Binny's for a program by Zachary Cook, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Politics at Lake Forest College. Dr. Cook spoke about the re-cent mid-term results and answered our questions about national and state results. His presentation and interaction with the group were both captivating and enlightening.

At the beginning of the program, Binny's provided us with a tasting of several wines (cheese too!) from female vintners along with a talk about both the wines and how these women became involved in the business. Thank you Binny's!


LWVHP/HWD BOOK CLUB

Our November readings were by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: the essay, We Should All Be Feminists and novel, Half of a Yellow Sun.

Goodreads about Half of a Yellow Sun: “Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie weaves together the lives of three characters swept up in the turbulence of a seminal moment in modern Afri-can history: Biafra’s impassioned struggle to establish an independent republic in Nigeria in the 1960s, and the chilling violence that followed….

Epic, ambitious, and triumphantly realized, Half of a Yellow Sun is a remarkable novel about moral responsibility, about the end of colonialism, about ethnic allegiances, about class and race—and the ways in which love can complicate them all. Adichie brilliantly evokes the promise and the devastating disappointments that marked this time and place, bringing us one of the most powerful, dramatic, and intensely emotional pictures of modern Africa that we have ever had.”

The group enjoyed Adichie’s writing so much that we decided to read another of her novels. After skipping December

for the Holidays, we continue with our January book by Adichie, Purple Hibiscus, on January 30th.

Organized and led by Barb Kronish, our Book Club meets the last Wednesday of each month in the HP Library from 1:00 to 2:30. Our next meeting will be on Wednesday, January 30th when we will discuss:

Purple Hibiscus Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

It’s a great group, which is open to both League members and non-

members. Join us, bring a friend and bring book title recommendations!


Membership renewal requests were mailed in early October. If you haven’t renewed yet, please support our League activities by returning your dues either by mail or via PayPal through our website

Our League welcomes new (or returning) members and membership confirmation letters will be going out

to all members soon. Some of the new members are listed below — others were welcomed in the Summer

and Autumn Bulletins:

We are pleased to have 23 new members to our League. Encourage your friends, women and men to join

us and our exciting group of Leaguers. LWV has been a continuing catalyst for change in our local com-

munity, state and federal governments. League continues to consistently provide educational programs and candidate forums to our communities.

Membership:

Individual $70 Household $100

Website: league@lw vhp.org (you can pay dues online) or Mailing address:

League of Women Voters Highland Park/Highwood

PO Box 396

Highland Park, Il 60035

Questions? Contact our Membership chair, Marlene Senescu

State and Local Program Planning will be at the end of February or early March, with a fun event to be announced soon. We encourage new members to participate in this grass-

roots event. What do we want as our local or state focus for 2019-20? We want to hear

from you, to help determine our program going forward.

LWVHP/HWD MEMBERSHIP

Electronic Member Directory

As we have done in the past, we plan to distribute to our members a membership list, with addresses, phone numbers and emails. This will be sent via email on a spreadsheet. We ask that this list not be shared with anyone other than our membership and should never be used for commercial purposes.

However, if you desire that your address, phone or email be with-held, please let Marlene know as soon as possible. (Marlene Sen-escu [email protected])

Linda Hanson, Robert Hanson, Joyce Hirsch, Francesca Kelly, Linda Kirschbaum, Katherine Licup,

Cara Madansky, Cheryl Schultz and Terry Vismantas





LWV HIGHLAND PARK/HIGHWOOD LEADERSHIP TEAM

Bulletin Editor

Nancy Goldberg

847 432-4249

[email protected]

LWV Highland Park/HIGHWOOD

PO Box 396

Highland Park, IL 60035

Email:

[email protected]

Website:

http://www.lwvhp.org

COMMUNICATIONS TEAM UPDATE:

The Communications Team is keeping busy!

Our League has had increased publicity notices, thanks to our membership chair, Marlene Senescu! A

tribute to our 2018 Anniversary Year was posted in the Landmark’s Year in Review.

We’ve created and circulated numerous posters and flyers for our events.. We will have flyers available

for the MLK Day of Service to help let the community know about our great programs.

We’ continue to successfully use mailchimp emails - hovering around 50% open rates. We have been

told by a LWVIL representative that most Leagues have around 30% open rates.

We are getting more hits on our Facebook page, partly due to your clicking “share”! Other local

Leagues are sharing our posts!

Research and integration of a new website is still planned. We are looking for a tech savvy high school

or college student to help with our website development. We have a small budget

for compensation. If you know someone, please contact me at my email address

below.

Publication of a Voter Guide for the Spring 2019 Consolidated Election will be

provided, coordinating with the Voter Services Team.

Be a part of our Communications Team, we make things happen!

If you would like to help with Facebook or Instagram contact:

Nancy Goldberg jam n148@gm ail.com .

Leadership Team 2018—2019:

Elaine Adler

Nancy Goldberg

Carole Kohn

Judy Miller

Marlene Senescu

Contingency Nominating Committee 2019: Barbara K ronish, Barbara Lippai, and Ginny Schulte

Treasurer: Ginger Seff Webmaster: Rose Feder




lwvhp.org



Electoral College

LWVHP/HWDHIGHLAND PARK/HIGHWOOD

Breaking News: Rep. Steve Cohen introduces constitutional amendment to abolish Electoral College, H.J.Res. 7 introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, on January 3, 2019,

introduced a Joint Resolution proposing a Constitutional Amendment to eliminate the Electoral College and provide for the direct election of the President and Vice President of the United States. The complete text is available here. The Joint Resolution

was referred to the House Judiciary Committee for consideration. When identical language is passed by two-thirds of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, it will then be referred to the states. It must pass three-fourths of the states to amend the Constitution.

As of January 11, 2019, 33 presentations have taken place in Illinois, as well as 5 other states, to 1200 attendees!

The materials for Abolish the Electoral College are located at https://www.lwvwilmette.org/electoral-college-reform.html

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

The League of Women Voters of the United States believes that the direct-popular-vote method for electing the President and Vice-President is essential to representative government. The League of Women Voters believes, therefore, that the Electoral College should be abolished.

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-joint-resolution/7/text?format=xml

https://www.lwvwilmette.org/electoral-college-reform.html




LWV OF LAKE COUNTY AND LAKE MICHIGAN REGION

“The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is accepting applications for grants between $1,000 and $100,000 as part of its 2019 Coastal Management Program, which provides funding for a number of initiatives, such as combating invasive species and coastal erosion, and increasing public access to the lake’s coastline.

This year’s program will for the first time include funding to help protect and enhance beaches along the lake, which are shrinking and could face additional erosion related to the effects of climate change.”

https://news.wttw.com/…/coastal-management-program-targets-… (copied from LWVLakeMichigan FB page)

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF LAKE COUNTY

On December 12th Carole Kohn and Nancy Goldberg attended

the LWV-LC Holiday Luncheon at Jimmy’s Char House, Liber-

tyville.

Lots of ideas were shared over a delicious

meal! Carole and Nancy enjoyed the

event and met some really talented

Leaguers from our neighboring

communities.

COASTAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAM TARGETS LAKE MICHIGAN BEACHES

https://news.wttw.com/2019/01/09/coastal-management-program-targets-lake-michigan-beaches?fbclid=IwAR0h5DtZ1-wYB1qmczqO2WtXunZSLhx53jcKhoXayUW1dLT8rLQO70aWE-0


ADVOCACY: LWV OF ILLINOIS

TIME FOR ACTION Close the Gun Sale Loophole. Support HR 8 a bill that creates universal background checks. FROM: Bonnie Cox, President Jean Pierce and Allyson Haut, Issues Co-Chairs; Mary Klonowski, Gun Violence Prevention ACTION NEEDED: Contact your U.S. House Representative to support HR 8, a bill that creates universal background checks. Find their phone num ber HERE. If your Representative is one of the Bill's Cosponsors (on the list below) please thank her or him: Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9]* Rep. Gutierrez, Luis V. [D-IL-4]* Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5]* Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7]* Rep. Schneider, Bradley Scott [D-IL-10]* Rep. Kelly, Robin L. [D-IL-2]* Rep. Foster, Bill [D-IL-11]* Rep. Bustos, Cheri [D-IL-17] Rep. Rush, Bobby L. [D-IL-1] Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8] WHY IT MATTERS: A loophole in federal law allows criminals, domestic abusers, and other people who aren't allowed to have guns to buy them with no background checks and no questions asked if they simply go to a unlicensed seller. Under federal law, only licensed gun dealers must submit background checks to the FBI before a sale to ensure that the buyer is legally allowed to possess a firearm. H.R. 8 would extend that requirement to include transactions be-tween individuals, thereby closing a loophole that has allowed many firearm sales at gun shows or facilitated online to take place without oversight. The new bill would exempt exchanges between family members and allow guns to be temporarily transferred for hunting. Quinnipiac's poll of 1,249 voters found 97 percent of respondents want universal background checks.

Illinois Legislators have managed to get on “A” Committees, a

potential huge benefit for our state:

Brad Schneider (D. 10): US House Ways and Means

Robin Kelly (D. 2): Health, Energy and Consumer Protection

Cheri Bustos (D. 17) US House Appropriations

http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001Y-OhYuIKi131a5bnwcMS3M8YLsvdtHSxUaWRcOuxq3L62iHxQeyPlNgex9ku1c7gKA07bL5ktD64Yf_FCZ8qTgflMVmU6oIq3W1Xl3wY9FRgaJpMHFUBk_2KCd7PvuGlhJGRZ1klN8Jh8zq5dYVItiTdcPNRS5eO4k3RJFbi0UoLvMQqfLYEaY84wzXoNLGQTx2VwRgVhgbYzh7MMUCaRcOe4SuQWllgSSFa

Click to return to home page LWVHP/HWD BULLETIN Winter 2019 Page 13 `

Highland Park has a strong recycling program – including pick up and drop off options for different items. As we begin

2019, please take a few minutes to review these recycling guidelines from the Solid Waste Agency of Lake Coun-

ty. Please do not put your recycling in plastic bags. Plastic bags should be taken to a local retailer for recycling (grocery

and big box stores have bins for plastic bags.) Electronics can be placed next to recycling cart at the curb on your first

trash pick up day each month. Holiday lights, textiles, styrofoam and paired shoes can all be dropped off at the Recycle

Center. Learn more about these options here.

Courtesy of Councilwoman (and League member)

Stone who has great environmental information

on her website Friendsofkimstone.com.

ENVIRONMENT and HISTORY

Jane Adams

Did you know that besides founding Hull house:

She and other Hull-House residents sponsored legislation to abolish child labor, establish juvenile courts, limit the hours of working women, recognize labor unions, make school attendance compulsory, and ensure safe working conditions in factories. The Progressive party adopted many of these reforms as part of its platform in 1912. At the party ’s national convention, Addams seconded the nomination of Theodore Roosevelt for president and campaigned actively on his behalf. She advocated woman’s suffrage because she believed that women’s votes would provide the margin necessary to pass social legislation she favored.

WOMEN’S HISTORY

GREEN NOTES

https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/ILLAKE/bulletins/223b8bd

https://us5.campaign-archive.com/?u=a3a6765814cc9daf603867395&id=371ce438dc&e=%5bUNIQID%5d

http://friendsofkimstone.com/

https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/theodore-roosevelt

https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/theodore-roosevelt


LWV Voter Registration: MLK Day of Service

When January 21st 10:00 am to 2:00 pm

Where Recreation Center of Highland Park

1207 Park Avenue West

Description Community Event celebrating the life

of Dr. Martin Luther King

LWV HP/HWD League Book Club

When January 30th: 1:00—2:30 pm

Where HP Library (lower level meeting room)

Description Purple Hibiscus by

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Note—Book club will usually meet on the last Wednesday of each month

LWV HP/HWD Illinois Budgetary Issues

When January 31st: 7:30—9:00 pm

Where Highland Park Police Station Training Room

Description Subject matter expert to speak on GRIT

Graduated Rate Income Tax

Speaker will be Kathy Tate-Bradish

LWV HP/HWD Great Decisions

When February 20th: 7:00—9:00 pm

Where Highland Park Public Library

Description First of 8 Great Decisions Series Sessions

Collaboration between the HPPL and LWVHP/HWD

Registration information (page 14)

LWV HP/HWD State and Local Program Planning

Details Information will be released soon

CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS

Jan 21

Jan 30

Jan 31

Feb 20

Feb or March

TBD


LWV HP/HWD Celebrates Women’s History Month

Details Watch your league emails for events

LWV of Illinois Annual Issues Briefing

When March 2, 2019

Where University Center, 525 S. State Street, Chicago

Description Plan to join Leaguers from around the state to hear

from leading experts and participate in workshops

on the Issues you care most about!

LWV HP/HWD Bike Walk 2030 Plan

Details TBD

LWV HP/HWD Annual Meeting and Luncheon

When May 18, 2019

Where Bella Via Ristorante, 1899 2nd Street, Highland Park

Description Annual Meeting followed by luncheon with guest speaker’s

topic on Immigration

CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS

April

TBD

May 18

March

TBD

March 2

WATCH for EMAILS FROM LWVLOCAL

for MORE INFORMATION ON OUR EVENTS!

Holiday Party, Dec. 13th

Documents

Transcript of Holiday Party, Dec. 13th